[UPDATED] Grand Theft Auto Online Info Roundup

Earlier this afternoon Rockstar Games released their latest trailer for Grand Theft Auto V, this time detailing their multiplayer component for the upcoming game. If you haven’t already, we strongly urge you to watch the video in all its wondrous glory, but if you want a rundown of the details, don't fret - we’ve got you sorted right after the jump. [UPDATED: Since we published this article, we've come across most details about GTAO, which you can now find in the article.]

Right then, are you sat comfortably? Let's begin...

Grand Theft Auto Online will bring the area of Los Santos from the single player campaign and offer a persistent and continually expanding world, where up to 16 players can gang together to do whatever they please with fully customisable characters in what appears to be an MMO-lite experience. With both structured and non-structured activities to take part in that will allow players to earn money and reputation, the video seems to suggest that a unique storyline with its own cutscenes will give players a sense of progression, allowing them to meet new (and probably familiar) faces. A number of mechanics are described as “redesigned” but at present we don’t know what that translates to – it could be that the special abilities that exist in the single player won’t be present, or it could be that players get a toned down version.

As already stated by Rockstar, Crews from Max Payne 3 will be making the leap to GTAO, allowing groups of friends to team up to take part in online gamemodes like team deathmatch or organise online heists in the persistant world. Of course, we don’t know if the organisational flexibility from the single player mode will transfer to the online version, or if players can take it upon themselves to be vigilantes against those who commit heists, but even in the most basic form it all sounds very promising. [UPDATE: We've learned since that with heists and robberies, players will have to decide amongst themselves how to split the money. Prepare for a double-cross or two...]

As well as being able to buy cars, aircraft, and boats (all of which can be kept in garages to cruise around in, used in missions, or primed for races) players will also be able to buy apartments for their avatars or act as a base for Crews. At this time we don’t know if these will be instanced due to the persistent nature of GTAO, or if it will be a “first come, first served” thing, but it does mean that players will have plenty to spend their hard earned / stolen virtual cash on. [UPDATED: Players will have space for up to 10 cars. Also, it turns out that you can lose your vehicles if they get destroyed, but insuring them means you can get a replacement if the worst happens. There has also been mention of risking money on a Stock Exchange or putting it in a bank for safe keeping.]

On top of this, Rockstar will be adding new missions and rewards over time, but if that wasn’t enough the players will also be able to design their own race tracks and deathmatch arenas to add to the online world using the content creator that comes bundled with the game.

Oh, and all of that is a part of the purchase of the main game – no subscription fees in sight – but the online mode will launch two weeks after the game has released on October 1st. That might seem strange, but considering how many MMOs suffer from server meltdowns on the launch day, Rockstar can at least gauge the potential strain on their infrastructure and prepare accordingly. In theory.

As I’ve already pointed out, there is still a number of niggling details to discover, but today’s reveal has made us here in the Dealspwn Citadel rather excited for Rockstar’s upcoming game, if only so we can bring you more episodes of Dealspwn Playthrough of Matt, Jon and I attempting to pull off heists.